Apparatus for handling warp beams



Aug. 8, 1961 T. P. MATTHEWS APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WARP BEAMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 15. 1957 INVENTOR. THOMAS E MATTHEWJ ATTORNEY fl 1961 T. P. MATTHEWS 2,994,939

APPARATUS F OR HANDLING WARP BEAMS Filed May 15, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. THOMAS H MATTHEWS /WBM/ ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,994,939 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING WARP BEAMS Thomas P. Matthews, Winnsboro, S."C., assignor to United States Rubber Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Filed May 15, 1957, Ser. 'No. 659,244 3 Claims. (Cl. 28-42) This invention relates to apparatus and method for handling articles.

In weaving textile fabrics employing two or more systems of warp yarns, e.g., fabrics of the type disclosed in Foster Patent Re. 24,007, each system of warp yarns, hereinafter called a warp, generally is put up on a separate beam. Two or more such warp beams are used at each loom to weave these fabrics.

These warp beams have been placed one behind the other behind the loo'm when weaving these fabrics, but this arrangement occupies a large floor area in the weaving room. If the beams were suspended one above the other behind the loom, floor space .would be conserved, but the beams are quite heavy when they contain a warp, and it would be difiicult to load the beams onto their support at the loom.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for handling multiple warp beams whereby the warp beams can be easily and quickly positioned at the loom.

In accordance with one embodiment of this invention a rectangular rack adapted to receive two or more warp beams one above the other is provided. This rack is mounted on a support in the warp preparation area, and two or more warp beams are loaded in the rack. The warps are drawn in, and the harness, reed and drop wires are hung from hooks carried by the rack.

A truck, designed to straddle the rack, is then moved in to pick up the rack carrying the beams, harness, etc., and this truck transports the rack to the rear of the loom where it deposits the rack on a support positioned to hold the beams in Weaving position. The truck is removed, and the harness, etc. are lowered into the loom. When the warps have been woven, the harness, etc. are returned to the rack, and the truck again picks up the rack containlag the empty warp beams and returns it to the warp preparation area for reloading.

For a better understanding of the nature of this invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a rack in accordance with this invention, loaded and ready for transportation to the loom,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a truck designed to carry the rack of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a side elevation View of the loaded rack mounted at the loom showing the loom ends; the harness is shown in broken lines in the working position.

Referring to FIG. 1, a rectangular rack is shown made of channel iron. The rack has a horizontal bottom member 11, two vertical side members 12, 13 and a horizontal top member 14, all welded or otherwise suitably joined together. The rack shown is designed to handle up to three warp beams, so three pairs of slo'tted brackets 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 26 are provided. One bracket of each pair is fixed on the inside surface of each side member with the two brackets in each pair aligned opposite each other, so a shaft 21 of a warp beam may be inserted in slots in the brackets. As shown, the three brackets on each side member are spaced one above the other, so that three warp beams may be suspended in the rack one above the other. The slots in "ice the brackets open upwardly and preferably away from the loom when the warp beams are in weaving position.

In the embodiment shown, three vertically spaced pins 22, 23 and 24 project inwardly from side member 12 and three similar pins 25, 26 and 27, project inwardly from side member 13 opposite pins 22, 23 and 24.

One side member 12 carries a winch 23 exteriorly of the rectangular rack, and this winch has two cables 29, 30. A pair of rotatable pulleys 31, 32 are carried by this side member 12 outside the rack near the juncture of the side member 12 with the top member 14. Centrally of the top member 14, two pulleys 33, 34 are rotatably mounted spaced from each other on axes parallel to the longitudinal axes of the top member. Preferably these pulleys are spaced from each other a distance slightly less than the length of the harness with which the rack will be used.

The cables 29, 39 extend up from winch 23 along side member 12, thence through a right angle over pulleys 31, 32 and along top member 14 to two pins 35, 36 fixed in top member 14. The cables are trained about pins 35, 36 and onto pulleys 33, 34 from whence they drop down in front of the rack 10. Two hooks 37, 38 are carried by the ends of cables 29, 30, and these hooks are designed to carry the loom harness H, reed R and the loom dro'p wires D.

It will be apparent that the harness, reed and drop wires may be raised or lowered onto the rack by means of the winch 28, cables 29, 30 and hooks 37, 38. Winch 28 can be locked to hold the cables 29, 30 fixed at any desired position of hooks 37, 38.

To prepare the warp beams for weaving, the frame 10 is mounted in the warp preparation area, and the number of full warp beams needed for weaving the particular fabric are loaded into the slotted brackets 15, 16, etc., carried by the rack. In the embodiment shown, the rack is loaded with three warp beams 39, 40' and 41. The several warps are drawn in and the harness, reed, and drop wires are placed on the books 37, 38 and suspended from the rack.

A truck 42 shown in FIG. 2 is provided to transport the loaded rack 10 to the loom.

This truck comprises two parallel I-beams, 43, 44 each carrying a caster 45 at each end of the I-beam. Connecting the I-beams 43, 44 and welded or otherwise suitably fixed thereto is the T-beam 46. The T-beam 46 and other transverse elements of the truck are of such length that the truck 42 may straddle the rack 10, and may straddle the loom while the rack 16 is being placed at the loom. Upstanding from -I-beams 43, 44 are side frames 50, 51. A top frame 52 is fixed between the side frames 50, 51 at their tops. Two additional upstanding support frames 53, 54 are welded to channel members 75, 76, resting on T-beanr 46, and support frames 53, 54 are also welded to top frame 52. Channel members 75, 76 are welded to T-beam 46 to project forwardly therefrom, and frames 53, 54 are welded to the projecting ends of channel members 75, 76 forwardly of T-bearn 46. The support frames 53, 54 are spaced from the side frames 50, 51 a great enough distance so the distance between support frames 53, 54 is approximately equal to the Width between side members 12, 13 of the warp beam rack 19.

Elongated plates 55, 56 are held adjacent support frames 53, 54, and each of these plates is arranged to slide vertically relative to the adjacent support frame. Each plate 55, 56 has fixed thereto two vertically spaced carrying brackets 57, 58 and 59, 60. In the embodiment shown, the support frames 53, 54 are made of channel iron, and the plates 55, 56 fit in the channel adjacent the base of the channel iron, TWQ elQBghifid 61, 53

are cut through the legs of the channel members opposite each other for each carrying bracket, and the carrying bracket, e.g. bracket 60, projects through both slots and is fixed to the elongated plate, e.g. plate 55. As shown, each carrying bracket 57, 58, 59 and 60 has a notch 63 cut in its upper edge near the forward end thereof.

Plates 55, 56 have inwardly projecting lugs 64, 65 fixed thereto which project through elongated slots 66 cut in the base of each channel iron forming the support side frames 53, 54. Hydraulic rams 68, 69, resting on angles 160, 101 fixed to support frames 53, 54 are positioned under lugs 64, 65, and a hydraulic pump 79 is connected to the rams 68, 69. Upon actuation of the pump 70, pistons of rams 68, 69 will be driven up to engage lugs 64, 65 and to raise these lugs and brackets 57, 58, 59 and 60 carried by the plates 55, 56. Hydraulic pump 70 can be actuated to raise rams 68, 69 to any desired level and hold them at that level till the air pressure in the pump is released.

When the rack has been loaded as described hereinabove, the truck 42 is brought into position adjacent the loaded frame 10 with the notched brackets 57, 58 and 59 and 69 positioned beneath pins 25, 27 and 22 and 24 respectively. The hydraulic pump 70 is then actuated to raise brackets 57, 58, 59 and 60 and lift the rack 10. The truck then carries frame 19 to its position behind the loom shown in FIG. 3.

There is fixed to the floor of the weaving room behind the loom an elongated runner 71 which is adapted to fit into the channel of the inverted channel iron bottom member 11 to support and position rack 10 at the loom. On each side of the loom, the loom end carries a rearwardly extending steadying bracket 72 which has a notch 73 cut in its upper edge adapted to receive one of the pins 23, 26. Preferably the notches 73 are of such depth and their position relative to the runner 71 and the pins 23, 26 is such that the pins 23, 26 do not rest on the bottom of the slots 73; rather the steadying. brackets 72 stabilize the rack 19 against tipping, and the weight of the loaded rack is carried by the runner 71.

With the rack 10 thus positioned, the loom harness is then lowered from the full line position shown in FIG. 3 by lowering hooks 37, 3 8 through winch 28, and the loom harness is simultaneously moved forward into the weaving position shown in broken lines in this figure. Preferably suitable guide rods 74 are provided for guiding the warps into the loom. The loom is made ready for weaving, and the warps contained on the rack 19 are woven into fabric.

When the warps are exhausted, the truck 42 moves in, again picks up the rack 10 and carries it back to the warp preparation area where the empty beams are removed. The rack 19 is then ready to be reloaded.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A warp beam holder comprising a moveable rack, means on said rack for supporting a multiplicity of vertically spaced warp beams for weaving on one loom, a multiplicity of drawn in warp beams carried by said rack, means on said rack adapted to cooperate with means at the loom to removably support said rack at the rear of the loom with the beams in weaving position, and means on said rack for supporting the loom harness for movement with said rack when said rack is transported to the loom.

2. A warp beam holder comprising a moveable rack, an inverted channel member on said rack adapted to rest on a runner behind the loom to position and support said rack, a pair of vertical side members upstanding from said channel member, means carried by said side members for supporting a plurality of warp beams one above the other in said rack, a winch carried by said rack, a hook on the free end of a cable of said winch, said winch, cable and hook being constructed and arranged to lift the loom harness and to hold the harness adjacent the Warp beams in the rack when said rack is transported to the loom.

3. A warp beam holder, comprising a moveable rack, said rack having a pair of vertical side members, means carried by said side members for supporting a plurality of warp beams one above the other in said rack, a winch having a plurality of cables carried by one said side member, said rack having a top member, spaced means carried by said top member on which said cables are trained to depend therefrom in front of said rack, hooks carried by the free ends of said cables adapted to hold the loom harness, means carried by said rack adapted to cooperate with lifting means by which the rack may be lifted, and means on said rack adapted to cooperate with support means at the loom to hold said warp beams in weaving position at the rear of the loom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,339,507 Hathaway et a1. May 11, 1920 1,436,171 Hirt Nov. 21, 1922 1,684,945 Colman Sept. 18, 1928 2,437,070 Bryant Mar. 2, 1948 2,624,476 Schmidt Jan. 6, 1953 2,833,487 P-letty May 6, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 674,574 Great Britain June 25, 1952 1,022,823 France Dec. 24, 1952 

